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TOTAL COINAGE OF GOLD AND SILVER IN GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, THE UNITED STATES, AND RUSSIA, FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS--1848 TO 1854, BOTH INCLUSIVE:

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AGGREGATE COINAGE OF GOLD AND SILVER IN EACH OF THE ABOVE-NAMED COUNTRIES

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THE FOLLOWING ARE THE RETURNS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES:

AUSTRIA.*
Gold.
FL. 4,780,203

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PRUSSIA.

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+ Silver and Copper Coinage.-The coinage of gold having been abandoned in 1847, (no coinage

by the government since 1853.)

Since 1850, Belgium has abandoned the system of coining gold.

Reducing the coinage of the last named countries to dollars, and allowing fl. 20,000,000 to Austria, and fr. 15,000,000 to Belgium, for 1854, we find that the total coinage of Great Britain, France, the United States, Russia, Austria, Prussia, Holland, and Belgium, for the last seven years, amounted to the grand total of $1,097,584,330.

It has been ascertained that in Birmingham, England, not less than one thousand ounces of fine gold are used weekly, equivalent to some $900,000 annually; and that the consumption of gold leaf in eight manufacturing towns is equal to five hundred and eighty-four ounces weekly. For gilding metals by electrotype and the watergilding processes, not less than ten thousand ounces of gold are required annually. A recent English writer states the consumption of gold and silver at Paris at over 18,000,000 of francs. At the present time the consumption of fine gold and silver in Europe and the United States is estimated at $50,000,000 annually.

CUSTOMS REVENUE OF THE PRINCIPAL PORTS OF THE UNITED STATES. The customs revenue of the General Government, at the principal ports, for the first quarter of the new fiscal year, beginning 1st of July, is thus reported :

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The above table shows at a glance the comparative importance of the foreign Com merce of the principal ports in the United States.

CONSTITUTIONAL LIABILITY OF BANK STOCKHOLDERS.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, passed March 15, 1855, the following act. (Chapter 69.)

AN AOT TO AMEND THE ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO ENFORCE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STOCKHOLDERS IN CERTAIN BANKING INCORPORATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS, AS PRESCRIBED BY THE CONSTITUTION, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE PROMPT PAYMENT OF DEMANDS AGAINST SUCH CORPORATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS," PASSED APRIL 5TH, 1849.

SECTION 1. The eleventh section of the act entitled "An act to enforce the responsibility of stockholders in certain banking incorporations, as prescribed by the constitu tion, and to provide for the prompt payment of demands against such corporations and associations," passed April 5th, 1849, shall be modified and amended so as to read as follows:

Every receiver appointed according to this act, after giving security, shall take into his possession all the property, effects, books, papers, accounts, and demands, against such corporation or association: including the securities, if any, which may have been deposited with the superintendent belonging to such corporation or association, excepting therefrom so much of the same as may be necessary to enable the superintendent of the banking department to pay and redeem the outstanding circulation of such corporation or association. He shall immediately give notice, by publication in such newspapers as the superintendent or any justice of the supreme court may direct, requiring the creditors of such corporation or association to exhibit and establish their demands before him within thirty days from the time of his appointment. Such receiver shall possess all the powers of receivers of corporations under the third article of title four of chapter eight and part third of the revised statutes, in respect to the settlement of all demands exhibited to them, and in all other respects, except as herein otherwise provided: and all such powers now conferred by law on trustees of insolvent debtors as may be applicable, and shall be subject to all the duties and obligations by law imposed on receivers of corporations as herein modified. SECT. 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS.

THE MEXICAN TARIFF OF 1855.

The Department of State furnishes a translation of the new Mexican tariff, which is particularly favorable to the productions of the United States:

Miguel Maria De Azcarate, retired colonel and governor of the federal district, to all its inhabitants, to wit: That from the Department of the Treasury has been addressed to me the following decree :

His excellency the President ad interim of the republic has been pleased to address to me the decree that follows: The President ad interim of the United States of Mexico to the inhabitants of the republic: know ye that, in order to reverence the decided will of the nation, adopting all those reforms for which it has pronounced; considering that among them one of those which admit of no delay is that of establishing uniform regulations according to which Commerce should be subjected to the payment of duties, protecting its interests without neglecting at the same time the general interests of society or those of the treasury, I have determined that whilst we are proceeding with the general reform which the tariff requires, the following regulations which, besides removing prohibitions, equally provide for the reduction of duties, shall be observed in the maritime and frontier custom-houses, with the understanding that, as regards the permission of importing provisions, the government may determine, even before the new tariff shall be issued, to discontinue the privilege, should it be thought convenient to do so :

1. Linen and cotton textiles, plain, white, and unbleached, of one vara* in width, per vara, 3 cents.

2. Linen and cotton textiles, bleached and unbleached, serge-like and striped, of one vara in width, per vara, 4 cents.

3. Linen and cotton textiles, white, colored, and dyed, satin-like, damascened, plushy, velvety, embroidered, worked, and fluted, of one vara in width, per vara, 5

cents.

4. On cotton textiles colored, known by the name of calicoes or chintzes, of one vara in width, per vara, 4 cents.

5 Cotton handkerchiefs, colored, of one vara, each 4 cents.

6. White handkerchiefs, with white or colored border, one vara in width, each 5 cents.

[All these textiles and stuffs, although they have a mixture of linen, hemp, flax, vegetable filaments or their tows, shall pay the same duty as if composed of cotton in their corresponding class.]

7. Spools of cotton of about 300 yards, (American,) per dozen, 64 cents.

* The vara equals 334 inches.

8. On cotton yarn, colored, provided it has the qualities specified in the 57th section of the 9th article of the tariff of October 4, 1845, per 100 lbs., $60.

9. Raw cotton, per 100 lbs., $1.

10. Salt, on the frontiers of Chihuahua, introduced through the custom-houses of El Paso and Presidio del Norte, per load of 14 arobas,† 50 cents.

11. Sugar of every quality, per 100 lbs., $2 50.

12. Flour, per barrel of 8 arobas, (203 lbs.,) $5.

13. Butter, 100 lbs., $5.

14. The importer is responsible for the whole amount of duties, as also for the one and two per cent created by the laws of March 31, 1888, and October 25, 1842, which correspond with the ten per cent on the amount, and for the municipal duties which are now exacted.

15 All the above duties, as well as the international duties, which shall be collected as heretofore, shall be paid in cash at the ports, allowing sufficient time to ef fect settlements, which shall not exceed thirty working days.

16. Thirty days deposit in warehouse is allowed to commence on the payment of 64 cents per day for storage.

17. The export duty on coined silver is reduced to four per cent, the duty on that of circulation remaining at two per cent, which shall be collected at the places whence issued, by the bureaus of the republic which may be there established.

18. The above-mentioned general tariff of October 4, 1845, modified on the 24th November, 1849, with all its regulations and expositions, shall remain in full force, so far as shall not be inconsistent with the present decree, and shall be considered as in force from the day of its publication in each port.

FREE SHIPS MAKE FREE GOODS.

A TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE TWO SICILIES.

We publish below all the articles of the treaty between the United States of America and His Majesty the king of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. This treaty was concluded and signed by the respective plenipotentiaries of the two governments in the city of Naples on the 13th day of January, 1855, and was made public in the United States, by the proclamation of the President, on the 16th day of July, 1855. The following are the articles word for word:

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ARTICLE 1. The two high contracting parties recognize as permanent and immutable the following principles, to wit:-1st. That free ships make free goods; that is to say, that the effects or goods belonging to subjects or citizens of a power or State at war are free from capture or confiscation when found on board of neutral vessels, with the exception of articles contraband of war. 2d. That the property of neutrals on board an enemy's vessel is not subject to confiscation unless the same be contraband of war. They engage to apply these principles to the Commerce and navigation of all such powers and States as shall consent to adopt them on their part as permanent and immutable.

ART. 2. The two high contracting parties reserve to themselves to come to an ulterior understanding, as circumstances may require, with regard to the application and extension to be given, if there be any cause for it, to the principles laid down in the first article; but they declare from this time that they will take the stipulations contained in said article first as a rule, whenever it shall become a question, to judge of the rights of neutrality.

ART. 3. It is agreed by the high contracting parties that all nations which shall or may consent to accede to the rules of the first article of this convention, by a formal declaration, stipulating to observe them, shail enjoy the rights resulting from such accession as they shall be enjoyed and observed by the two powers signing this convention. They shall mutually communicate to each other the results of the steps which may be taken on the subject.

ART. 4. The present convention shall be approved and ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of said States, and by His Majesty the king of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies; and the ratifications of the same shall be exchanged at Washington within the period of twelve months, counting from this day, or sooner if possible.

+ 4 arobas equal 1014 pounds.

THE NEW SALVAGE LAW OF LOUISIANA.

The following act repealing all laws contrary to its provisions, and all laws on the same subject matter, except what are contained in the Civil Code and Code of Practice, was approved March 15, 1855, and is now in force :

AN ACT RELATING TO SALVAGE.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana in General Assembly convened, That any person who shall recover, save, and place upon the bank or land any bale of cotton found floating in any of the waters of this State, and not in the possession or under the actual control of the owner or carrier thereof, shall be entitled to demand and receive from the owner, his agent, consignee, or insurer, the sum of two dollars and fifty cents for each bale of cotton so recovered and saved from the water as aforesaid, and also the additional sum of fifty cents for each bale so saved as aforesaid, which may have been shipped to the city of New Orleans, as hereinafter provided, previous to its being demanded by the owner, his agent, consignee, or insurer.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That the master of the boat or vessel from which such floating cotton may have been lost or thrown overboard, the shipper, consignee, and insurers of such cotton, or any of them, shall be entitled to demand and receive the possession of the same, after first paying the salvage fees as provided for in the preceding section.

SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That if the owner, consignee, or insurer should not demand such cotton from the salvor within ten days after it shall have been recovered from the water, then it shall be the duty of the salvor, within the further term of ten days, to ship the same to the city of New Orleans; and the merchant there receiving the same shall cause it to be advertised for five days in a newspaper published in that city as cotton found, describing each bale by its original marks or brands, and if after the expiration of the said five days the owner, his agent, consignee, or insurer, shall not claim said cotton, it shall then be the duty of the merchant to sell the same, and deposit the proceeds, after deducting the salvage fees, freight, and charges, in the hands of the Treasurer of the Charity Hospital in the city of New Orleans, together with an account of said sale and charges; and the salvor failing to ship such cotton, as directed herein, shall forfeit all right to demand and receive compensation for sal

vage.

SEO. 4. Be it further enacted, That any person who shall fail or refuse to surrender or deliver to the owner, his agent, consignee, or insurer, any bale or bales of cotton which may have been recovered or saved in the manner hereinbefore mentioned, after the salvage fees shall have been paid or tendered to him, and any person who shall secrete, convert to his own use, or sell otherwise than is allowed by this act, any bale or bales of cotton so saved by him from the water, or which may have been placed in his charge by the salvor, shall be deemed to be guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars, and shall be confined at hard labor in the penitentiary for a term not exceeding one year.

ACCOUNTS AND RETURNS OF MERCHANDISE.

It is decided by the United States Treasury Department that merchandise imported in transit and for exportation to adjacent British provinces, must appear in the warehouse accounts at the port of importation as goods warehoused and exported, and goods withdrawn from warehouse, in pursuance of the required regulations, must also be credited as exported in the same manner. A daily record of these entries is to be so kept that statements of the merchandise thus imported and exported can be rendered monthly to this Department by collectors of the ports of importation, according to the prescribed forms.

Similar returns are required, in the same form, of goods transported and exported to adjacent territory in Mexico.

The collectors at the frontier ports through which the goods pass on their way to the above named provinces, are also required to make monthly returns of the goods inspected at such ports, in a form similar to that required in the case of goods entered for re-warehousing.

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